a. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to animal restraint devices and specifically to animal restraint devices adapted for animals such as cats and dogs.
b. Description of the Background
Restraining animals, such as cats, is a necessary part of administering normal veterinarian care. Often, certain procedures such as administering intravenous or subcutaneous injections, trimming claws, observing and treating wounds, or other procedures requires that the animal be restrained so that the animal or the person performing the procedure is not injured.
It is sometimes standard practice in veterinary offices for an assistant to hold an animal while a procedure is performed. Often, a towel is used to encircle the animal while the assistant holds the animal for the procedure. In some cases, a scared and partially restrained animal may become highly agitated and injure itself or those humans attempting to care for the animal. In such cases, it may become necessary to partially or completely sedate the animal for the procedure. Anesthetics may have undesirable side effects or may add additional cost to the treatment of the animal. When anesthetics are not used, it is desirable to have the animal restrained quickly so that the animal does not struggle and fight its way free.
It is therefore advantageous to provide a system and method for restraining an animal quickly, safely and reliably. It would be further advantageous to provide access to various portions of the animal in the restraint so that different procedures may be performed.